Covid-19 update: Nearly 6k new cases in SA as Biden offers beers for jabs

As of Wednesday, 2 June, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 1,675,013 with 5782 new cases identified, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed.

“This represents a 12,7% positivity rate. We will be monitoring this increase in positivity rate to see if it sustains and, meanwhile, urge all citizens to remain vigilant and adhere to non-pharmaceutical interventions, even if vaccinated,” NICD said.

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110 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported, with 0 from Eastern Cape, 11 from Free State, 54 from Gauteng, 4 from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), 11 from Limpopo, 4 from Mpumalanga, 16 from North West, 7 from Northern Cape and 3 from Western Cape.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 56,711.

Recoveries now stand at 1,565,684 representing a recovery rate of 93.5%.

A total of 11,713,400 tests have been completed with 45,484 new tests conducted since the last report.

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“The following figures represent the tally as at 00.01, 2 June 2021: The total vaccinated under the Sisonke Programme is 479,768.

“The total vaccinated under Phase Two with the first dose of Pfizer vaccine is 637,801.

“Therefore, the total number of individuals vaccinated today is 1,117,569.”

#COVID19 UPDATE: A total of 45 484 tests were conducted in the last 24 hrs, with 5 782 new cases, which represents a 12.7% positivity rate. A further 110 #COVID19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 56 711 to date. Read more: https://t.co/KRLE4Zt09p pic.twitter.com/atlOJGhh6s

— NICD (@nicd_sa) June 2, 2021

US dangles haircuts, beer to boost vaccination rate

Drink a beer, sit back for a haircut – and get your Covid-19 vaccination.

That was President Joe Biden’s message Wednesday in launching a huge final push to inoculate 70 percent of the US adult population by the national holiday of July 4th.

“That’s right: get a shot, have a beer,” President Joe Biden said in a speech announcing the campaign to meet his Independence Day target.

The White House has recruited everything from big brewers like Anheuser-Busch to small Black-owned barber shops to spearhead the effort.

“We’re asking the American people for help,” Biden said.

“It’s going to take everyone…, so we can declare independence from Covid-19 and free ourselves from the grip it has held over our life for the better part of a year.”

Biden said the country is on the cusp of achieving the 70% goal.